Can You Hear Me, Silver? It's Me, Lyra
by Illusion of Insanity
Summary: "He can't hear, see or feel you, Lyra. Silver is simply a NPC, just as the rest of them are. You're wasting your time with that boy. He'll never be able to respond to your feelings." He gave me a tight frown as I shook my head. "I know, but I can still try." (SoulSilver)
1. Please Wait

**Author's Note: Due to the fact my first poll ended in a tie, you'll be getting both a SoulSilver fic and a Conflict one-shot! Lucky you, eh? Well, this one is based off an idea that I had a while back. I couldn't help but think how hard it must be to be one of the hundreds of NPCs in Pokémon, standing around all day and just repeating yourself. So, I decided to make the main character Lyra be self-aware and realize the difference between them! So, this is going to be a bit different, but I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Full Story Summary:**

**"He can't hear, see or feel you, Lyra. Silver is simply a NPC, just as the rest of them are. You're wasting your time with that boy. He'll never be able to respond to your feelings." He gave me a tight frown as I shook my head. "I know, but I can still try." (SoulSilver) Rated: T Genre: Drama/Romance**

* * *

Stubborn. That's always been a quality I've been known for. I'm always digging my feet in the dirt with a frown, unwilling to come to a compromise or to give in. I wouldn't say I'm as stubborn as Clair—I've never gone and _rejected a loss_, but I've never actually lost before, either—but I'm pretty hard-headed.

That only seems to reason how I'd find myself in this situation.

You see, there are two kinds of people in my world; those that are considered free-willed and moving and those that follow their program and stay rooted in place. In your terms, this would most likely be described as Playable and Non-Playable Characters, or NPC for short on that last one there. I'm one of the lucky few who are free to think, feel and do anything they feel like, whether it be yelling some love song at the top of my lungs or to think that my boss Lance is a total jerkface.

...Not that I actually partake in those two activities.

Anyways, Playable Characters are very few in this world, and therefore run most of the world's highest positions such as the Elite Four and the Champion position. I happen to be the newest Champion, with Lance the Dragon Master as my predecessor, boss and overall guide for the life of a Champion. My name is Lyra Soul, and I have done the unthinkable.

I have fallen in love with a Non-Playable Character.

I know what you're thinking, _'what's the big deal in that'_? Well, a NPC can't do anything besides what they are programmed to do. They can't think, they can't see you and they certainly can't feel anything. At least, that's what Lance keeps telling me. It would certainly explain why those people stand in the same place all day, saying the exact same thing over and over again.

NPCs can't feel any emotions, they can't speak to you besides what they are programmed to say. They cannot react to anything in their world, nor can they process anything around them. They just stand there and wait around. The only thing they can manage is to blink.

Therefore, my attraction to a certain redheaded NPC is very ridiculous and destined to end in heartache, right? Well, I'm still trying.

And that exact reason, ladies and gentlemen, is how I have found myself in this situation before me.

"Lyra Soul, this has to stop before you end up getting hurt." The tall Dragon Master has yet again pulled me aside in the Pokémon League's lobby to lecture me, the two of us standing in the middle of the room as the eternal residents of the main floor stand idly by. His hand is on my shoulder as he stares into my eyes, pleading for me to listen to him. "He'll never break out of his code."

I slowly narrow my eyes and stand taller, unable to stand that flame in his grey eyes. "You did, Lance. You broke your code."

It was true; Lance used to be a member of the Elite Four, unable to have a single thought or to move a muscle. He just stood in his room and waited for a challenger. When a certain brunette boy—now the Viridian City's Gym Leader—came in and challenged him, Lance started to feel something stir inside of his mind. In the middle of their battle, Lance felt something snap inside him. He fell to his knees as the boy watched on, unable to comprehend the miracle that he had triggered. Lance then rose to his feet with a new life, the life of a Playable Character.

Lance just sighed and shook his head sadly once again, sweeping his spiky red hair along with his movements. "I understand that, Lyra. But, you can't expect that boy to do the same. My awakening was a stroke of luck and a moment of pure will to move. That boy doesn't even desire a life beyond his programming."

"You don't know that." I find my quiet voice carrying a hint of anger at his insult, even though it was directed towards someone other than myself. "You don't know what he thinks. Maybe he _does_ want something else. You're not him."

"Lyra Soul," My name comes out as a harsh breath, the man now growing impatient with me as he tightens his grip on my right shoulder. "He can't hear, see or feel you, Lyra. Silver is simply a NPC, just as the rest of them are. You're wasting your time with that boy. He'll never be able to respond to your feelings." He then gave me a tight frown as I shook my head with a rebellious smile.

"I know, but I can still try."

And with that, I tossed his hand off my shoulder and slipped away, heading straight for the boy who I knew would listen to me.

He always does.


	2. This is Lyra Soul, Can You Hear Me?

**Chapter Two: This is Lyra Soul. Can You Hear Me?**

* * *

"Good afternoon, Silver. It's good to see you again." I walk up to the motionless boy and his frozen Typhlosion with a smile, my Meganium trailing behind me with a frown. Unlike the Pokémon of an NPC, a Pokémon owned by a Playable Character is alive, just as their owner is. They can think, feel, see and hear their surroundings, just like partners. And just like my mentor Lance, Meganium doesn't approve of my daily chats with the redhead.

They don't see him like I do.

He doesn't move, as usual. He just stands there, staring off into space in front of him and more tense than a tree. Occasionally he will blink, just to show that his unseeing eyes still require moisture so they don't dry out. However, this is all he ever does on a Saturday.

I stop beside him and cock my head, my eyes staring intently into his namesake eyes with a hungry energy. I can see the slight warmth in them, despite the fact that Silver is still a NPC. Out of all of the NPCs in this world, Silver is by far the closest to being a Playable Character. He has a personality; harsh at first, but later on softening into a kind heart as he tries to become a better person. He can think during our battles; he'll change strategy in the blink of an eye to respond to my own changes in Pokémon. Surely he _must_ be thinking in his mind, somewhere.

I don't believe for a single second that those burning eyes belong to just a robotic body, not even a bit of it.

"So," I slowly reach out my right hand and hold his cold fingers in my hand, silently enjoying the contact. "Still training, right?"

He does nothing, just continues to stare in front of him.

"You know, you did very well in our battle on Monday. You had me cornered there until Glaceon dodged your Aqua Tail." I smile as I recall the triumphant smirk that flashed across his face as my Glaceon struggled to stay on his feet. It would be an understatement to say that I longed to be the one to receive that smile with my whole being. "If it weren't for my evasion bonus in his hailstorm, I wouldn't have made it that time."

Silver blinks, closing his eyes quickly twice before letting them return to their normal width. I try to ignore the pain in my chest as I move his frozen fingers to my own and stroke them gently with my thumb, trying to coax them to move and curl around my own.

"Gani." I feel a light shove in my side as Meganium nudges me, trying to steal my attention away from the boy next to me. I let him pester me for a few minutes before turning around with a frown.

"What is it, Meganium? Is something wrong, boy?"

It is then that I notice the sun's recession from the cavern, the once vibrant light now dying into a deep orange as the signs of evening start to crawl out of the shadows. I draw in a sharp breath, hold it for a few moments and then let it out as a whistle of defeat.

"Drat. It's getting late." I reluctantly release Silver's icy fingers and took a small step towards him. I then lift my gaze to his face and gave him a small smile, trying to keep myself from crying again. "I'd better be getting back home for the night."

Slowly, I bring my face towards his own and give him a small kiss on his pale cheek, ignoring the bolts of ice that now course through my lips in the few heartbeats of contact. I slowly take a step back as my eyes begin to sting.

"Goodnight Silver. Sleep tight, redhead."

I then turn towards my starter, give him a small nod and head for the exit. The tears silently slip down my cheeks as I walk down the docks, silently hoping that he will finally respond to me tomorrow, just as I do every time I leave the Dragon's Den.

* * *

**Author's Note: As you can tell, this is a bit more dramatic than my usual writings—wait, a lot of my writings are kinda dramatic in one way or another. In case you were wondering, Lyra has been in this cycle with Silver for over a year. In other words, she has some ****_amazing _****patience...**


	3. This Is Silver, I Can Hear You

**Chapter Three: This is Silver. I Can Hear You.**

* * *

_She left again._ The lone thought drifts hazily in my mind as the sensation of her touch fades away, leaving me in a heavy pressure that presses against my whole body. I know she was here; Lyra Soul always comes to visit me in this place, even when all I can do is stand here and say the same things again and again. She doesn't seem to mind though.

She's different from him.

I can feel. It may not be as they can, with textures and consistencies, but I can register the pressure as her fingers press against mine.

I can hear. Her smooth voice, filled with emotions I can't understand still reaches my ears. The words may be jumbled and fuzzy, but I can still understand that she is talking to me. She talks to me every day, as if I am truly able to respond to her sweet tone and speak back to her.

I can't move. I'm trying to move something, _anything_ to show her that I know she's there; my head, my gaze, my hands, my feet and my mouth, they're all still rooted in place and unable to show her that _yes, I can hear you_ and _yes, I can feel you_.

Sometimes, I can't feel anything. I don't feel the pressure of a thousand weights that hold me fixated in this cavern. Sometimes, I feel lighter than air and can't open my eyes to see where I am. Then suddenly, I'm in front of the League and pushing through the door, running inside the crimson and golden lobby to challenge her to another battle.

I can think. The clearest thoughts come to me during those battles in the middle of the room, allowing me to think about how to take down her Glaceon menace or how I can use Sneasel's immunity to her hailstorm to my advantage. When I try to think of her during these battles, my brain just seems to give up and stall, unable to think about anything but _'win, win, win'_ and_ 'lose, lose, lose'_.

I can't speak. The only words that I can shove past my lips are the same she always hears, the same words over and over again in an endless cycle. When I try to just talk to her, my mouth remains etched into my skin and unable to say _'yes, I can hear you'_, _'yes, I'm happy to see you, too'_ and _'please stay here with me'_.

I am alive. ...Alive...what a funny word. I may be able to breathe and to think, but I don't feel like I'm alive. I feel like I'm dead, only able to watch on as her life passes by and unable to actually become a part of it. I feel like all I can do is sit in this cavern and wait for her to come back for a visit. My life consists of an endless cycle of battling her and listening to her talk, nothing more.

I want to be like her. I long to be able to move when I want, to speak what I'm thinking and to show her that I am listening to you. I wish that I was born a Playable Character as she was, just so that I can say that I _do_ hear your words and that I _want_ to hear your voice more... But I'm still stuck as a NPC, rooted in place and unable to speak.

And I hate every second of motionless silence.

* * *

**Author's Note: This is just a small reminder that I ****_love_**** to hear from my readers! Don't be shy, tell me what you think in the Reviews section!**


	4. There's Some Kind Of Interference

**Chapter Four: There's Some Kind of Interference. I Can't Hear You, Silver.**

* * *

By the time I arrive back at the League, the sun had long since set over the horizon and graciously allowed the moon the chance to shine her light in his place. I slowly walk up to the front door with heavy steps, petting my concerned Meganium on the head as I trudge back to the front door. With a heavy sigh and a lump in my throat, I push the door open and walk inside to head back to my quarters.

"Ah, so you've decided to return home for the night." I slowly look up to find Lance waiting for me in the lobby, his arms folded across his chest and his harsh eyes looking straight through me. I hesitantly lift a hand to wipe the remaining tears away, unwilling to allow him to see that this _does_ hurt me already. He takes a step towards me with a frown, already noticing my condition. "That's good. I was starting to think that you might spend the night in the Dragon's Den again."

"...I thought about it." I say the words flatly, as if I wasn't even talking to him. "But I didn't want to get a knot in my back again." I flash him a sarcastic smile as he stops in front of me. I take a second look at his face and frown as I find his eyes burning in anger. _Oh boy, here we go again._

"This has to stop, Lyra." His face contorts into a scolding frown as I growl, unhappy with his constant backlashing. "You're wasting both your time and your energy on this boy, and frankly it's unhealthy!" I narrow my eyes as he begins to wag a finger in my face as he continues, "Silver is just a NPC! He'll never be what you want him to be, Lyra! You have to understand that and move on!"

"You don't know that!" My protest bounces out of my mouth as my throat feels like it's being constricted by Lance's Gyrados, closing in on me as I try to speak. "Silver isn't like the others! He can break his code, I know he can!"

"No, he can't, Lyra!" Lance now begins to bend over me with a scowl, trying to intimidate me into listening to him. "He will _never_ break his code! He's far too comfortable being the way he was programed! He doesn't even _want _to break free of his code!"

"Yes he does!" I lift my head to glare at him as Meganium lets out a roar of protest, trying to aid in my argument for once. "Silver isn't just some dumb NPC who sits around and repeats himself again and again! He can _think_, Lance! He's alive, just like me!"

"No he's not!" Lance slams his hands down in front of him as he speaks, just inches from my face as he finds his patience thinning. "Silver is just like every other NPC! He's not _alive_ like we are, he's just an empty shell! He'll never be able to snap out of his code!"

That's when I feel something snap inside of _me_. I suddenly point to his face and scream out, "Meganium, Petal Blizzard!" My starter instantly recognizes my cracking order and blasts the Dragon Master with his storm of petals, making the man cover his face with his arms and let out a yell of frustration. I then take advantage of the situation and dash back out the door of the League, leaving him behind in a swirling tornado of flowers as Meganium and I run away from him.

I don't know where I'm going. All I know is that Lance is wrong and that Silver _is_ alive. He's wrong, and I'll prove it...

Silver _will_ break his code.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ah, sorry Lance fans! Lance is unfortunately casted as the antagonist in this piece, mainly because I can really see him as a sort of mentor figure of sorts. It's nothing personal, Dragon Master...Alright, perhaps I have a ****_small_**** vendetta against him for making me lose five times in my copy of ****_Pokémon HeartGold_****...and for being so mean to Silver in the Rocket Base... Seriously, did you ****_really_**** have to cream his team like that, Dragon-Man?**

**But that had nothing to do with his role in this mini-series, I swear it.**


	5. The Line is Breaking, Silver

**Chapter Five: The Line is Breaking, Silver. I Can't Hear Your Voice.**

* * *

I run through the dark night without any second thoughts, I just run away from the Pokémon League and away from Lance. Meganium is hot on my heels, my loyal friend letting out small barks every few minutes to let me know that he's still following me. I find myself running back the way I came with a blurred vision, everything become fuzzy and indistinguishable with my unshed tears in the dark cloak of night.

By the time I reach my destination, the darkness has begun to recede into a pale blue of morning. My feet and sides are throbbing as I fall to my knees, smacking the cold ground below me and sending a shockwave of pain through my legs. Meganium quickly holds me up by placing his neck under my chest and pushing up gently, allowing me to take a minute and catch my breath again.

After a few minutes of choked breathing, I look up to find myself back inside of the Dragon's Den, Silver and his Typhlosion still standing in the exact place I left them. "...Sorry to barge in like this." I give him a quiet apology before sitting down on the ground and rubbing my tired eyes, trying to keep myself awake for a while. "Lance is being a big jerk again and I needed to get away from him."

Silver continues to stand there, and I'm unable to tell if he closes his eyes at night or leaves them open to stare in the darkness. He's probably just blinking.

"I know you're probably tired, Silver. I'm really sorry that I'm just inviting myself in here like this." I slowly lay back onto the ground and sigh, feeling a pain shoot through my chest as Lance's words keep bouncing around in my mind. Meganium lays beside me and sticks his long neck out for me to use as a pillow, a solemn look of sadness painted across his face.

"I'll only be here a few hours, then I'll leave for some training." Silver doesn't react to my reassurance, he just continues to stand there and stare off into the distance.

I slowly let my eyes close and relax inside of the peaceful silence of the Dragon's Den, the calm lull both soothing and haunting at the same time. _I wish you would talk to me, Silver. Even if it was only to tell me not to sleep here._

Those thoughts were the last thing on my mind as I fell asleep.

* * *

I reluctantly wake up to the gurggle of rushing waters and the crash of waves smacking against the docks of the shrine. I hesitantly rise to a sitting position with a groan, feeling like I had sleep on a pile of rocks.

Oh wait. I actually _did_ sleep on rocks last night. Well, that explains the pain in my lower back.

I then rise to my feet and look to my right to find Silver still standing there against the fence of the shrine, looking off in front of him as his Typhlosion still stands motionless beside him. As soon as I look up to his frozen face, Lance's yells from last night slam back into my skull and reverberate in my mind endlessly.

"Good morning, Silver." I walk towards him with unsteady legs just as Meganium begins to wake up, my loyal partner sensing that his trainer is moving away from his sleeping figure. I slowly reach up to hold a cold cheek as the tears race back to my eyes. "I'm sorry for sleeping on the ground at your feet last night."

Silver continues to stare in front of him as if I'm not even here.

"...You can hear me, right?" I swallow hard as I gently brush my hand down his cheek with a pained smile, trying to get _something_ in response to my voice. "Lance says that you can't hear, see or even feel me, but I know he's just lying."

Blink. He blinks again and lets his eyes return to their normal width, their attention clearly focused on his direct line of vision.

A tear races down my cheek as my hand falls back to my side. I _have_ to make him respond. I _know_ Silver can hear me.

"He doesn't understand that you're different than the other NPCs. He just thinks all of them are exactly the same, unfeeling and unmoving." My voice starts to falter at the end of my sentence, crackling like embers in a dying campfire. "He's wrong about you, Silver. You're much more than that."

I stay there for a few moments and just watch on as Silver blinks again. I suddenly feel something drop into my stomach and I find myself diving my face into his chest and sobbing as Lance's words suddenly crush me below their weight.

"Darn it, Silver!" Despite the fact that I'm bawling right now, I still seem to have enough power left to yell into his navy-blue jacket. "I know that you can hear me in there! I've seen you think during our battles! I know you're in there somewhere, Silver! You've gotta try to move, or feel, or see or _something_! You're killing me!"

I lose my voice for a few minutes as I just sob, my face straight in his jacket and my shoulders heaving with every shaking breath. A slight nudge from Meganium pushes me out of my silence and makes me clutch his jacket even tighter, unwilling to let go.

"You've gotta try to break your code, Silver! Please! You've gotta try to move or do _something_! _Please_, Silver! You have to try!" I suddenly pull my face out of his jacket and kiss him straight on his mouth, even though I know he can't kiss me back. A few of my tears fall off of my face and crash into his cheeks and open eyes. I then pull away to find him blinking my tears away, completely emotionless.

I turn away and take a shaking breath, trying to calm myself down. "Please try, Silver...please. You have to try to snap out of it...please. Please try...for me."

I then turn back towards Meganium and rush out of the cavern, completely defeated and depressed. My starter gives Silver a final look over his shoulder before I leave the Dragon's Den and head for the Ice Path.

I need to go train before I find myself crying to death.

* * *

**Author's Note: And...here's her breaking point!**


	6. The Line is Clear, Lyra

**Chapter Six: The Line is Clear, Lyra. I Can Hear You Perfectly.**

* * *

_Don't leave! Come back!_ I suddenly start to feel a sharp feeling in my chest as her footsteps race out of the cavern and fade away. My eyes somehow start to sting as I try to swallow a lump in my throat that has somehow appeared. I blink rapidly as hot tears suddenly gush out of my eyes and race down my face, blinding me with blurred dots and sharp lights.

I find myself clutching my chest and falling to the floor with shaking breaths, unable to breath and unable to think anything besides _'it hurts, it hurts, it hurts'_.

Pain. I'm finally feeling something clearly for the first time and it has to be pain. The sharp stabbing in my chest is in fact _pain_ and I'm falling to the ground, curling into a ball and just crying because I'm actually feeling something for once in my life and _oh Lugia, it hurts_. I feel like I can't breath as the liquid leaps from my cheeks to the floor, I can't move anything except for my shoulders as they shudder with my sobs.

_What happened to me?_ The thought suddenly slams my brain as I struggle to breathe through these tears. _How am I actually moving?_

All I remember before the pain was that I wanted her to stay here, I didn't want to just sit here and be silent while she's crying in front of me like that. I wanted more than anything to just reach out, pull her to me and tell her that I'm right here and she shouldn't cry because I _can_ hear her.

...Does this pain...does it mean...?

Oh Lugia, I think I've broken my code!

Typhlosion suddenly roars to life in the corner of the fence as I'm still on the floor, now smiling through the pain in my chest and the tears on my face. The Volcano Pokémon lets out a roar of joy as he storms over to my side, crouches down and just licks my face like a saltlick and leaves me covered in hot tears and lukewarm slobber.

"S-Stop it!" My voice suddenly pops out of my mouth as I find myself laughing hysterically at his rough tongue that continues to cover me in his saliva. It's lighter than I remember, bubbly and free-flowing as I curl up tighter to protect my face from the Typhlosion's attack. "Please, stop! You're drenching me in your spit, you crazy beast!"

I like my voice. It's better than the harsh tones that I've used in the past to scold her and to put her down. This one is light and happy, like a Hoothoot's laugh in the middle of the night. I let myself laugh even more as I slowly uncurl and try to use my hands to hold off the pink weapon, the pain inside my chest starts to disappear.

I finally stop crying and sit up on the hard dock with a smile, Typhlosion now sitting beside me and wagging his stump of a tail with hyper movements. I smile even wider and wipe off his saliva on my jacket sleeves, feeling happier than I can even describe.

_Lyra._ Her name pops back into my mind and I'm almost startled by how easy it is to think now. _She just left._ I look towards the exit of the Dragon's Den and give a small frown. A sudden feeling, similar to a pull attacks me, trying to bring me towards the exit of this small cavern.

"I've gotta find her." My voice isn't as light as it was a few minutes ago. Now my voice is strong and confident as I nod in agreement to my own plan. "I've gotta show her." I try to rise to a standing position but I somehow lose my balance halfway up and smash back down on my rear with a grunt of pain.

Typhlosion lets out an amused roar as I sit there in bewilderment, my mind unable to comprehend how I have been able to stand for almost two years straight in a single spot but I can't seem to get back on my feet once I've fallen over. "Stupid legs." I give them a scolding glare and try again, still wobbling as if I'm on stilts.

As I'm about to fall over a second time, Typhlosion literally sticks his neck out for me and holds me up, keeping me from falling over once again. I give him a quiet nod of thanks before finding my balance again and managing to stand up on my own.

"Now then," I give him a confident smirk as I slowly head towards the dock of the shrine, somehow feeling like my feet are made of lead and my legs are made of gelatin at the exact same time. "Let's go find that little rival of mine before Mister Super-Jerkface does, shall we?" _Or before I fall into the water._ I somehow discover that my thoughts are pretty free-flowing at this point in the game, and not all of them are encouraging.

I then recall my Typhlosion with a grin and head for the exit as a flame of determination ignites in my chest. _I'm a Playable Character now, and nothing can hold me back._

* * *

**Author's Note: Hurray for magical kisses that can break the code! **

**...Not really. Silver just had enough motivation to break his code once he saw her crying like that. And I apologize for the seemingly-OOC Silver in this chapter, but if you could finally move and do whatever you wanted after so long, wouldn't you be a bit overjoyed too?**


	7. I'm Right Here, Lyra

**Chapter Seven: I'm Right Here, Lyra. Turn Around and See.**

* * *

_The Pokémon League._ I glare at the giant door with a frown, trying desperately to make myself look like I'm still an NPC. Why? Well, I'm going to barge in there, ask for a battle and then, once she wins—because I'm going to let her win this time—I'll act like I'm leaving before suddenly spinning around and tackling her!

Well, the last part was Typhlosion's idea...but I'm pretty sure the rest of it will work! _Alright. Here goes nothing._ I let out a heavy sigh before bursting through the doors and marching straight up the step inside of the fancy lobby.

I find Lyra exactly where I thought I would, standing right beside the man with an Abra with a frown on her face and her Meganium standing behind her. She suddenly spins around with a look of shock as I march over towards her with a frown, trying to stay in character. "Hold it!"

"...Silver." I feel a small stab in my chest as she lets my name out as a defeated whisper.

"You're going to take on the Pokémon League now?" I narrow my eyes before continuing, "You'll have to give up on that. My well-trained-beyond-recognition Pokémon are going to pound you." I unclip Typhlosion's Pokéball as she continues to frown, unable to give me a smile as the sadness still lingers in her eyes. "Right now, right here! I challenge you!" It _will_ be different this time. Not because I'm going to win, but because I'm finally just like her and able to do whatever I want, and right now...

All I want is to make her smile again.

"Alright, Silver. We can battle." She looks over her shoulder at her Meganium and lets her starter pass her, preparing to enter the battle and fight for her team. I just smirk as I toss Typhlosion's Pokéball and shout alongside her.

"Battle begin!"

* * *

My Crobat finally falls at my feet as her Glaceon gives a haughty snort, the battle finished in a mere hour. As I recall my fallen Pokémon, I can't help but notice the look of confusion in her eyes, as if she thinks something's not right with our little battle. I just let out a growl and try to stick to my lines that I've repeated time and time again.

"...Oh, no... I still can't win after all that training..." I frown and shake my head for added effect, trying to make this look convincing. "I...I have to believe more in my Pokémon. ...No big deal."

"...Silver..." I resist the urge to look up at her face as my name slips off her tongue again, this time with noticable sadness in every syllable. "Please...try to snap out of this. Don't you want to do something other than endless battles?"

"Sorry to have gotten in the way. Don't forget to rest your Pokémon before you challenge the Champion!" I cut her off with my usual farewell, turn around and dash out the door, leaving her standing there on those steps with most likely a look of defeat on her face, despite the fact that I'm the one who lost the battle.

I stop just as I exit the building, lean against the far wall and just struggle for my breath, my right hand on my heart as I try to prevent it from bursting out of my chest. _This is it._ My mind reminds me of the plan as my breath slows to a normal rate. _You're going to show her that you _are_ more than just a NPC. You're just like her now, and you can do this._ I take a deep breath, swallow hard and then slip back inside with only a muffled first step, my eyes locked on the brunette across the room.

Lyra has returned to staring off into space, her shoulders hung low as her Glaceon rests at her feet. I resist the urge to run as I slowly head towards her, making sure that every step I take is quiet and virtually unnoticeable.

By the time her Glaceon notices my presence, I'm already right behind his trainer. With a devious smirk, I suddenly launch myself straight at her back with a hearty cry of her name, making her quickly let out a scream as we both fall to the floor.

I open my eyes to find Lyra looking up at me with a dumbstruck look on her face, her warm eyes open to a width I had no idea possible and her mouth open to gawk at my appearance. I just laugh at her face, overjoyed that I have finally done what I've always wanted.

She slowly stands up and I just let my hands rest on her overalls, feeling the odd sensation of the strong fabrics with a smile as she continues to stare at me. Her Glaceon rushes back to his trainer—as he ran away from us when we fell over—and barks at me, scolding me for tackling his trainer and remaining on top of her, no doubt.

"S-Silver?!" I beam as she lets my name race past her mouth with the sweet sound of disbelief ringing loud and clear. "But how did you—?!"

I interrupt her with a crash of my lips, catching her off-guard and making her Glaceon let out a squeal of protest. We stay locked together in a warm exchange for a few minutes before I pull away, my face burning and my lungs screaming at me to get some air before I suffocate.

"T-That's how." I pant out my response with a smile as she blinks with pleasant shock, completely unable to comprehend how things went from me standing in silence to me suddenly kissing her in the lobby like my life depended on it.

She then bursts into a wide grin and wraps her arms around my neck, making me close the eye closest to her hat to maintain a stable vision of my surroundings. She suddenly lets out a quick laugh before nuzzling closer to my neck.

"I knew you could do it, Silver."

And in that second, I felt more alive than all of my past life put together.

* * *

**Author's Note: Next chapter is the Epilogue! And just so you know, I actually looked up Silver's Rematch on YouTube and watched the video, wrote the text down myself and inserted it into this piece. So those lines are actually from the SoulSilver game.  
**


	8. Epilogue: Can't You Hear Us, Lance?

**Epilogue: Can't You Hear Us, Lance? You Were Wrong.**

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoes off of the rocks of the cavern, bouncing around for what felt like hours before being absorbed in the sound of the whirlpools and waves of the lake surrounding the shrine, the waters guarding it in a vast expanse of blue. The footsteps suddenly stop as they reach the docks, and the owner of the two feet lets out a hiss of frustration under his breath.

There, laying before him is his protégé Lyra Soul, sleeping soundly in the corner of the shrine's dock and covered with nothing but a flimsy blanket as she sleeps in her clothes, her Meganium gladly allowing his trainer to use his neck as a pillow.

With a heavy sigh, the man crouches down beside her and gives her a gentle shove, trying to wake her up while keeping his temper in check. He let loose last time, and he did _not_ want to end up yelling at her like that again. In fact, he was still picking flower petals out of his hair after even taking a shower to wash them out.

"Lyra," The girl let out a small groan before rolling to her left, her body now facing away from the man as he tried to rouse her from her slumber. "Lyra Soul, wake up this instant."

The girl slowly lifted her head up with a shaking hum, her eyes still closed as she reluctantly sat up in her spot. "...Lance?" Lyra slowly lifted her hands up to her face and rubbed her eyes to check, feeling beyond groggy but content nonetheless. "What are you doing here?"

"Lyra," Lance let her name out as a sigh as he tried to keep himself calmer than he had been with her as of late. "You need to come home _now_. It's the middle of the night."

"But _Lance_," His name however was let out as a childish moan, making him smile weakly at the sight of his successor rubbing her eyes and pouting at him. "I was already sleeping...I'm tired..."

"I understand that, Lyra." He slowly reached his right hand towards her and let it fall on her shoulder, startling her ever so slightly. "But I think you've spent enough time with this emotionless husk already for one day."

"_Hey_!" Lance flinched with a gasp as another moan erupted from beside the girl. His grey eyes grew wider than they ever had before as the lump beside her suddenly made its way up to the edge of the blanket and popped out, exposing a staticy mess of red hair. The new member of the conversation suddenly fell over to his right, effectively landing square on the girl beside him and letting himself be propped up by her shoulder. "Who are you callin' an _'emotionless husk'_, old man?!"

"S-Silver?!" Lance let his mouth fall open as the girl giggled sleepily, still groggy but enjoying the mixture of shock and horror on her mentor's face. "But you're just a NPC! You can't be there!"

"I told you he could do it." Lyra simply smiled at the man's confusion as Silver found himself chuckling in triumph. "You just had to give him a chance."

Lance suddenly stood up with a humph and stormed off, leaving them both in the peaceful darkness of the Dragon's Den. They both waited until his footsteps died away before they slowly curled back up under their shared blanket and attempted to return to their slumber.

"...You should have broken the news a little bit more..._gently_." Silver murmured the sentence with a smile as he snuggled his way closer to the smaller girl beside him. "He's going to be a big jerk for a long time now."

"Who cares?" Lyra just snuggled closer to him and sighed happily, enjoying the sensation of his body actually giving off heat. "He wasn't exactly the most supportive individual."

"...Bah, you're right." He then closed his eyes and let his left arm drape across her with a smile before pulling her closer. "Besides, I never liked him to begin with."

Lyra just chuckled before opening one eye with a smirk. "I thought that was just part of your programming."

"Nope, I don't like him either way."

Lyra just let her eye fall back to a close and relaxed, enjoying the sound of dripping water off the stalactites and the gentle roar of the waves.

"Goodnight, Silver."

Silver let out a small chuckle before resting his chin on her brunette hair. "Goodnight, Lyra. You'd better still be here when I wake up, otherwise you'll be in deep water."

Lyra just let out a chuckle of her own before letting out a sigh. "Wouldn't dream of it, redhead."

They then both just closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, feeling more alive than they ever had in their whole lives.

* * *

**Author's Note: And now we have a fluffy ending for this dramatic tale! Haha, they showed Lance, didn't they?**

**Thank you for reading ****_"Can You Hear Me, Silver? It's Me, Lyra."_****! Please tell me what you think about this in the Reviews section! Did you enjoy the story? Was there anything you thought interesting? Should I write more about this AU? Tell me what you think!**


End file.
